Crimson Oceans, Scarlet Seas
by Yuhi Sakura
Summary: Sakura's vacation takes a disturbing turn when it becomes clear the resort is a cover for something much more sinister.
1. Seaside

_**Chapter One: Seaside **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! **_

Sakura smiled to herself as she stepped into the lobby of the resort, her suitcase trailing behind her on its wheels.

It was utterly magnificent: plush carpet she could feel even through her shoed feet, massive, fiberglass elevators, a beautiful overlooking the sea, marble counter tops…it was gorgeous!

She quickly regained her composure and fumbled for the scroll Tsunade had given her: It was her pass for an all-expenses paid vacation from the Hokage herself with a red card pinned to the center of it---literally a limitless credit line that went on Konoha's tab.

The pink haired kunoichi had been working quite hard lately: Rain and Grass had recently entered a war and she had been dispatched to set up a medical facility that would care for both sides. Shortly after, she led the effort to compose a treaty, which was signed within an hour of its proposal. When she had finally gotten back to Konoha, she had been immediately shipped off as an escort to a runner in a quasi-tribal, clan ritual that would determine the ruler for the next five years. Naturally, the other team had a hit on the runner and it had been her job to ensure he made it---which he did…, by a full hour ahead of the competition. Then she received a hawk from Shizune informing her that Akatsuki had developed an organic weapon that fed on chakra and deteriorated the keirakukei network. She was promoted instantly to the head of the special unit assembled for finding the cure and within three days, she was dispensing the antibiotic and vaccines for the uninfected.

That same day Tsunade had called her to her office; the kunoichi had been sure it was another mission. Much to her surprise, her shishou had tossed her vacation pamphlet, handed her the scroll, explained the red card, and said she didn't want to see her for a full three weeks.

Sakura was too stunned to do much but stare for a moment before falling into spontaneous fits of laughing/screaming/jumping up and down/etc before clamoring out of the office window to pack.

Realizing she was at the desk, she quickly pushed aside the sentiments racing through her head and handed over the scroll to the handsome young man at the counter.

"Good afternoon. I trust your journey was pleasant?"

"Quite!" She replied sunnily.

He smiled back and quickly typed a few strokes into the computer before him. A sharp, error tone came over it a moment later.

"I'm sorry…our computers are apparently experiencing a bit of a crash." He frowned.

"Would you like me to shop around for a few hours and try again later?" She volunteered.

"Of course not," He smiled, handing her the scroll and red card while he jotted down a few notes on the notepad by the mouse, "I'll enter you later. I apologize for the inconvenience; your first night will be on us."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest the generosity but he quickly silenced her with an insistence.

"Here's the key to room 214." He said, handing her a card with a magnetic strip, asked if she wanted help with her luggage, and when she said replied she was fine, bid her a good day.

* * *

Sakura slipped into her room, closing and locking the door behind her out of habit. She tossed her suitcase on the bed and took a moment to collapse comically in the armchair next to it.

But the day was still young and she was far from ready to retire for the night.

She rose quickly and tore open the bright pink duffel bag and rummaged through her clothes; she had bought a few things specifically for this trip with her own money (she had cash to burn after all those missions). She pulled her headband off, tossing it somewhere on the dresser where she heard it clatter behind the wall, ignoring it, she stripped off her red tunic and short-skirt combo and boots and exchanged them for a more appropriate outfit: a black halter with rushed sides, a white denim mini, casual dress boots in a shiny patent leather, a belt comprised of gold rings, and several silvery bangles. She quickly twisted her hair back into a ponytail that vaguely resembled Shikamaru's spiky arrangement, pinned gold hoops to her ears, and set a pair of sunglasses on her head behind her ears---for later use.

Smiling once at the reflection in the vanity mirror, she grabbed the only purse she owned (a small gold bag with a single strap that wrapped around her shoulder), and headed out.

* * *

After a quick peek at the brochure, she decided she would grab lunch at a café near the hotel, do a little shopping, head down to the beach later, and grab dinner at the resort from room service.

The café was just across the street, so she stopped there, picked up a salad, a cup of soup, some raspberry tea, and a slice of cheesecake to go, which she then enjoyed on the pier. After disposing of the resulting trash, she stopped into several of the many shops lining the piers.

With her own cash, she picked up some clothes for Naruto, a book on the fine point of weaponry use for Sasuke, a set of sake cups for Tsunade, some exotic flowers seeds for Ino, stationary for Shizune, and the entire collection of Icha Icha for Kakashi---extended box set, hardcover.

With her credit line, she purchased a bathing suit (white with metallic swirls in magenta, pink, and dusky rose with a matching bikini bottom) and a snack of fried ice cream balls.

Then she returned to the hotel, figured swimming could wait, and ordered her dinner: a generous helping of chicken curry, a plate of sushi, and some sweet and sour soup before indulging in the chocolate lava cake and falling asleep on her bed.

TBC


	2. Konoha, Mainly

_**Chapter Two: Konohagakure, Mainly**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **_

"Shizune, please pick up my usual on your way out." Tsunade stated off-handedly as she perused the scrolls in front of her.

"Isn't it a bit early?" The aid protested, Ton Ton squealing in agreement in her arms.

"Don't argue." Tsunade replied.

Shizune sighed, took up the scroll she was to take to the aviary, and grabbed the small list her mistress had jotted down.

* * *

Shizune quickly dispatched the message and got down to the store where she picked up the sake Tsunade wanted as well as a lottery ticket before returning to the Tower to help her finish the mountains of paperwork threatening to engulf the office.

* * *

"This is so unfair." Naruto whined.

"Shut up." Sasuke replied in his usual monotone.

"We should get a vacation, too." He responded.

"She's been working hard."

"So have we."

"When's the last time you saved a village from outright genocide?"

"…"

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Tsunade groaned, massaging her temple with one hand as she poured herself a glass of sake with the other and drained it in one gulp.

Shizune clicked her tongue lightly, disapprovingly. Tsunade glared, Shizune narrowed her eyes back, they continued with the paperwork.

* * *

Stretching, Sakura sat up in the rich bed and drank in the sunshine for a few moments before slipping into the bathroom.

She flicked on the hot water, adjusting the temperature on her wrist before turning the spray on the setting she liked and turning it on. While she waited for the water to heat up, she undressed, stuck her clothes in a laundry bag, and stepped in.

She washed her hair, scrubbing the salt water crust from the pink strands and moisturizing her dry skin---a completely forgivable reaction to intense salt water exposure. And, realizing she was medically analyzing herself, laughed, rinsed her hair, and stepped out.

* * *

She contemplated her garb for a moment before finally selecting a snug, white dress in embroidered cotton, gold heels (reasonably short, admittedly), the same purse, and the same earrings. She brushed her hair out, grabbed her credit card, and decided it was definitely time to get some lunch.

TBC


	3. Crisis

**_Chapter Three: Turn About_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!_**

It was unusually quiet for a Saturday on the beach: There was only a handful of people sunbathing or swimming and even less in the lobby and the stores lining the beach. But it didn't bother her a bit so she disregarded the oddity and headed towards the nearest restaurant.

Deciding to take the scenic route, she walked down along the unpaved road that led down into the moist sand.

There was still some mist that had yet to be burned off by the sun...meaning her clock was off by about five hours...

'I'm sure it's just a daylight savings error...' She told herself uneasily as she walked up the ramp to the restaurant.

The bell clanked cheerfully as the door closed behind her and the counterman smiled at her, ready to take her order.

"Sorry," She smiled, "I need just a minute."

"Take your time." He grinned, turning away to finish up some cleaning.

She looked over the menu of fast foods and decided that a burger, fries, and a milkshake---vanilla---would be perfect.

"Ready, young lady?" He asked again.

"Definitely: a number one with a vanilla milkshake. And no onions on the burger, please."

"Certainly." He responded, ringing up the total.

Sakura looked over the register sum, pulled out her card, and swiped it. Pounding in the PIN, she clicked the green ENTER key and waited.

"Thank you for your business." He smiled...too widely...

Sakura didn't even have time to scream before the floor dropped out from under her.

* * *

Shikamaru yawned sleepily to himself as Tsunade concluded the briefing. Somewhere in the background someone was reading off a few numbers in a monotone that threatened to send him to sleep.

"Shikamaru...are you with us?" Tsunade demanded.

"Yeah." He replied.

She raised a slender, honey-colored eyebrow in skepticism but continued anyway.

"Ino isn't available as your medic this time around so you'll be receiving a new one from the Chunin Corps. Treat her well; she's new to the profession."

"That's just what we want..." Shikamaru sighed.

"Do you think I'd send you will a complete novice? She's new to squad operations, not healing or fighting." Tsunade snapped waspishly.

"How long are we expected to be away?" Choji asked.

"A few days, a week at the most." The Kage replied.

"Great." Shikamaru sighed sarcastically.

"You're pushing your luck, Nara." The Sannin said, warning him not-so-subtly he was extremely close to D-rank missions for the month.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." He replied none too sincerely.

Tsunade twitched slightly at his insolence but decided not to press her luck with him. With an unsuppressed growl of anger, she threw the scroll at him---probably harder than necessary. But it was better, she reasoned, to do that rather than send him flying through the open window of the office with a well-placed punch. No matter how tempting it was to follow through with the latter...

Shikamaru, mid-yawn, was smacked across the face rather viciously by the scroll. Stunned, it clattered unrestrained to the floor as the chunin stumbled back, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Choji stifled a giggle...only to be stifled himself when Tsunade turned her death-glare on him.

He muttered a quick apology before literally sprinting out of the room with Shikamaru lazing behind for a moment.

"You really are very difficult sometimes." The Hokage stated simply, massaging her temple.

"I know." He shrugged, smirking awkwardly.

Tsunade brought her hand down...a little too hard.

A stack of papers, all freshly organized, crash to the floor. Cursing, she stood up and walked around the desk, gathering documents as she went.

Much to her surprise, Shikamaru leaned over and gathered the files nearest him into a neat stack.

"Thanks." She replied, slamming a heap of them on the desk again.

"No problem. Oh, and you won the lottery, by the way" He yawned, flashing the ticket before setting it down and exiting.

He didn't even notice the horror come over Tsunade's face as she began scribbling orders to recall teams.

* * *

Sakura felt something lacerate her from all sides and realized with a sickening fall in the pit of her stomach that the ramp was lined with literally dozens of corpses impaled on the shards of glass rising from the metal tube.

Chakra coursed to her foot, which she extended protectively, drawing her arms over her face. The glass literally vaporized beneath the chakra-powered limb, sending showers of sharp shards towards her face. And her maneuver did nothing for the pieces lacerating at her arms and exposed ribcage.

'Moving too fast to stop!' She realized as she slammed sickly against the sudden, sharp turn of the vent. Glass pushed into her exposed stomach before she fell back down into the spiraling vent, retching from the agony slicing through her stomach.

Blood loss finally took her and, a moment later, she slammed against the sandy bottom at the end of the vent, sea water lapping stingingly at her wounds.

* * *

Kakashi vaguely considered picking up the phone and calling Sakura to check up on her. Not that she needed it, of course. But he liked to hear her voice occasionally.

But he decided very quickly against it: It was midday; she was likely out enjoying herself, and rightfully so.

He could always get a hold of her later.

* * *

"They're all back, Lady Tsunade." Shizune assured her for the fifth time.

"Are you _sure_." Tsunade demanded.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. They're all accounted for." The aid replied, trying unsuccessfully to calm her mistress' nerves.

"Cell Ten? Eight? Fifty-three? Nine? Six? Seven?"

"Yes. The only one away is Sakura."

Tsunade didn't have to say a thing...Shizune felt the horror settle in her chest like a living, sharp, bristling creature.

"Get Naruto and Sasuke! Now!"

TBC


	4. Nightmare, part 1

_**Chapter Four: Nightmare, part 1**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**_

Sakura's eyelids fluttered open weakly and she groaned with the pain the consciousness brought. Suppressing a scream of pain, she righted herself and brought a glowing hand to her stomach.

There were several shards still embedded deeply in the ragged wound and she could do nothing but take her lips between her teeth, bite down, dig her fingers into the bleeding injuries, and rip them out before proceeding with the healing.

Quite obviously, she thought to herself as she knit the weeping flesh back together, something was very wrong: If that kind of sadist wasn't the worst of her enemies, she was in serious trouble….

Scampering up when the worst of the bleeding had been checked, she quickly slipped out from under the lip of the vent and onto the now dark beach: the moon was low, thankfully, preventing her silhouette from popping up from the background.

But that was where her luck ended: the entire perimeter of the beach, and even well beyond it, was being patrolled quite militaristically by the 'civilians' of the resort town.

Seething, Sakura slipped silently onto the pier, hiding up in the rafters of the large structures until she could come up with a better plan. Besides, she was still in shock from her injuries and her reaction time was screwed for at least a few hours until her body could recover.

Wedging herself in the smallest space she could manage, she closes her eyes and dozed uneasily.

* * *

He came around the corner, seemingly civilian garb…carrying a particularly icy and deadly looking dagger.

He fumbled with the radio in his and called back he hadn't seen anything yet.

* * *

Sakura was easily roused from her uneasy slumber and slinked back even farther into the shadows, tracking him with lethal green eyes that promised death the first chance she had to do some damage.

He moved in the sand beneath her, moving away to the other side of the pier.

She hesitated, tensing and ready to pounce at her first, slightest opportunity.

He turned away, lining her up with his blind spot. Chakra coursed to her feet, she launched off of the salt-crusted wood, landing behind him and in the same motion driving her fist straight through his stomach.

He hung for a moment…and then looked over his shoulder…smirking…

She gasped in horror.

"Goodness…we apparently missed someone."

On impulse, she lashed out with her free hand, striking a lucky blow that sent his head tumbling from his body. And that seemed to do it: the limp form tumbled to the ground, her fist pulling free.

And that's when she realized the blood wasn't fresh: It was congealed. Meaning he had been 'dead' for some time. And there were only a few arts she knew of that could do that, the first of those being Shikon no Jutsu. But that technique was nowhere near sophisticated enough do replicate that kind of vitality. Not to mention that Shikon no Jutsu's entire purpose was to prevent blood from congealing and decaying as well as restore the heartbeat, in pseudo, for a short period of time. This art…whatever it was…allowed for completed movement even as the body was breaking down. And the corpse had taken massive damage before falling even to her strength.

She had to get back to the hotel…get her weapons, her gear…

* * *

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune tore into the room, screaming for her mistress.

Tsunade was up in instant, demanding answers.

"They were dispatched on accident and didn't receive the recall. And it wasn't logged until after the roster I gave you was 'complete'!"

"Okay…let's relax for a moment. Maybe I'm being too paranoid. Dispatch an eagle to Sakura. Don't let on. Just ask her how her vacation is going." Tsunade replied, sinking back into her chair.

* * *

Sakura slipped into the room, locking the door the first chance she had and throwing what little gear she could salvage into her bag. It was clear the room had been raided…her clothes, make-up, accessories were scattered across the room. And most of her functional gear---kunai, shuriken, solider pills---were gone. But there was some beneath the bed and between the mattress and under some clothes they hadn't found. But only a few…five kunai, three shuriken, and four rations….

Footsteps pattered outside, shadows crawling beneath the door.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she snatched the bag up, slung it over her shoulder, and disappeared back into the night.

* * *

Several hours later, a small carrier kite dove into the open window, hopped from the window, and landed on the shattered dresser.

Cocking its head curiously, it gave a shallow cry that most shinobi recognized as the figurative beep on the message machine. But no one came.

The sun, streaming in through the window, caught on something and the shine reflected back into the bird's eyes. Instinctively, it crept behind the dresser and retrieved the headband discarded back there. It cried out one more time, hesitated, and then took flight.

* * *

Sakura took refuge down by the beach for the day, hiding in the coves and the rocks while waiting for night and slowly regaining her strength. But, of course, she needed to get out.

But how?

The entire area was being patrolled. And it wasn't as if she had the gear or the chakra reserves necessary to get past them all.

She really did want to lie down and give up…or at least she did until her inner self slapped some sense in to her: she was the apprentice of Tsunade, Lady Fifth of Konoha, most powerful medic of any of the nations and the only female Sannin. She would _not_ fail in her duty to carry her own title proudly: Haruno Sakura, heir to the title.

* * *

Tsunade literally felt her world crash down around her when the kite dropped a headband into her outstretched hands…

"Shizune…recall Naruto and Sasuke…send them to the resort and retrieve Sakura."

Shizune was already down the hall barking at the attendants to get a kite in the air with the Fifth's orders.

TBC


	5. Nightmare, part 2

_**Chapter Five: Nightmare, part 2**_

_**Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Naruto…I really don't. **_

Sakura cursed under her breath as she dove into the freezing surf, diving under the foam of the cresting wave as another patrol passed by. She stayed down as long as she could, maneuver on the sandy bottom, surfacing only for brief gasps of air that held her for another minute or so.

Soon, the sun, already dipping low behind her, would set: and that was about the time she planned to make her escape: she had done some research before coming to the resort, mostly on the type of weather and attractions they had, but in doing so she came across an article about the resort's original construction: it actually lay several feet below sea level, not enough to warrant a full drainage system, but enough that the Land of Fire's daimyo had authorized a set of recycling filters---basically massive vents at key points along the shore that filtered water under the resort and back into the sea, taking with it waste water that was processed and filtered through a separate system. However, the system wasn't entirely capable of maintaining that kind of backwash and some of the systems filtered out of the resort and into small ground reservoirs. These reservoirs were pumped by small villages for water that could be treated and used. If she could get to one of them, she would be home free.

* * *

"Understood." Sasuke stated simply, nodding to the kite as it flew off.

"Let's go!" Naruto cried, concern marring his voice.

* * *

Sakura cursed her bad luck again; she really just couldn't seem to win.

Now they were scouting with boats…and men---given their unique condition, they could swim for hours without tiring and needed no oxygen…

Sputtering seawater, she dragged herself onto the nearest, mildly safe shoreline and found cover in an artificial alley created by two adjacent food shacks. Snapping the lock on the second, she slipped into it, closing the door behind her and locking it from the inside. Salvaging a bottle of water, she also took several packs of foods.

Admittedly, she felt guilty about stealing…until she remembered that it was life or death for her.

Choking back a frozen fruit salad and downing a soda, she gathered what weaponry she could.

It wouldn't be an arsenal to brag about, a few steak knives and some grill forks, but she was desperate enough that she could think of up several ways she could utilize them.

* * *

The kite returned to Tsunade with a cry, landing lightly on her shoulder and rolling its silky head against her cheek.

"Good girl." Tsunade cooed, stroking her sleek head with her index finger.

"Affirmation of deliverance?" Shizune asked, expectation heightening the pitch of her voice.

Tsunade nodded, smiling faintly; there was hope yet.

* * *

Sakura scrounged a few hours of sleep, hidden in the rafters of the shack that, in a few hours, would cater to its 'residents'. She didn't like it, but she was a dead woman if she didn't get some rest.

Naturally, however, she awoke not long after dawn and began to think about how she was going to get out: obviously, they needed to dispose of her before someone came looking for her, then they could blame it all on a tragic accident…Tsunade wouldn't believe them, but an extensive investigation would turn up nothing unusual…

She shook her head violently---she was being morbid. If she was going to think in that kind of depth, it should be directed towards a method of escape.

TBC


	6. Intervention

_**Chapter Six: Intervention**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**_

Sasuke stepped into the lobby, crossing over to the desk in a fraction of a second without honestly meaning to---like it or not, he was protective of the only female of their squad. Even so, his better judgment won out and he took the…logical tact.

He gave his infamous smile, a carefully blended mix of domineering confidence and seduction as well as arrogance---it never failed to produce the desired effect: a person, male or female, too flustered to concentrate on what they were saying. It was when people lost their focus that they messed up, spilling information…

"I'm looking for Haruno Sakura." He stated.

The man at the desk hesitated, glancing uncertainly at the Uchiha before his fingers moved across the keyboard.

"I'm sorry," He replied, "but she seems to have checked out."

"When?"

"Shortly before your summons." He responded.

"Thank you." Sasuke said simply, turning on his heels with a faint smirk.

Bingo.

Stepping through the rotating carousel doors, he turned into the nearest ally, Naruto waiting for him.

"So?" He asked.

"She's definitely here." He replied.

Naruto nodded, waiting for information.

"The clerk knew Tsunade summoned us although I never mentioned it."

"And?" The blonde asked lamely.

"And that means something is off." The raven-haired male replied.

* * *

"Shut up." Sasuke hissed as they climbed the walls of the resort, clinging to the shadows with their chakra.

Naruto growled faintly behind him, but held his tongue as the Uchiha glanced into the room through the window; Shizune had been kind enough to hack the system remotely and pull up the number of Sakura's room, 304.

Seeing no one in the darkness, he gently levered the glass pane with the point of his Kusanagi and slipped inside. Landing lightly on the plush carpeting, he was faintly startled to find the room in perfect order…hardly indicative of the struggle Tsunade's apprentice would be sure to give.

With a snort, he sheathed his katana and began to search the room for more subtle signs of her presence.

"This is the room the kite found her headband in." Naruto whispered.

Sasuke shushed him again as he began to pick through the items in the bathroom as Naruto poked around the bed and nightstand.

He searched the drawers first, looking for her brand of make-up or a certain hair ornament she was found off. Naturally, he found nothing. But he wasn't surprised; if the operation was as covert as it appeared, they would be sure to clean up anything that obvious.

He stepped aside, pulling the shower curtain open and kneeling down beside the drain.

He found exactly what he was looking for: a single strand of pink hair caught in the drain. He smirked to himself as he pulled it free from the metal plate and examined it beneath the Sharingan. And sure enough, it had her chakra signature: a gentle, lacing green.

"Hey, I found something!" Naruto called in a hoarse whisper.

Sasuke snorted lightly, rising from the tub and walking back into the room. Bending down beside the blonde, he looked at his outstretched palm where several fragments of something purple lay. He gently picked at one of the shells, bringing it to his nose first and then his mouth.

A military ration, he realized, and without a doubt Sakura's formula: she had a unique way of blending the bitterness of plasma pills (blood supplication products, in general) and the herbs in basic rations. The end result tasted horrible, but was so effective no one complained---her mixture could keep men on their feet for six days at a time without severe adverse reactions, a risk run with the shorter-lived rations of the Inuzuka and Akimichi clans.

He pulled a radio from his shirt, sliding it into his ear and adjusting the frequency to match that of Konoha's Information Relay Team.

"Patch me through to Shizune." He said over the first faint crackle.

"Patching." The kunoichi on the opposite end replied, followed by a louder static hiss.

"Yes?" Shizune asked, her intonation unmistakable.

"Where was the last charge to Sakura's credit line?" He asked.

"One moment." The aid responded, the vague tap of her fingers across the keyboard filtering through her soft breathing.

"Well?" Naruto whined impatiently, only to be silenced by a lethal glare from his ebony-haired friend.

"A food shack called Cho's, off of the south side of the pier."

"Moving out." Sasuke stated, pulling the radio off and tucking it back into his shirt.

* * *

Sasuke, later learning the exact order from the electronic receipt slip sent to the Hokage, entered the store, frowning at its overall lack of impression.

Pushing aside his personal sentiment, he looked over the menu, pretending to browse over it.

At that moment, an attractively disguised Naruto entered, latching onto his arm in a perfect mirror image of the genin Sakura---however this Henge used her mature body. Tossing his silky pink hair, he smiled at Sasuke, winking seductively.

"What will you have?" Sasuke asked, mustering as much romantic puppy love into the statement as he could bear without making himself sick.

Naruto batted his long eyelashes, gazing at the menu, "A number one, no onions please, and a vanilla milkshake."

The vendor smiled, rang the order and collected it for them. But the nervous tremble of his hand didn't escape Sasuke's keen gaze.

"Thank you." The Uchiha replied, his eyes lethal despite the smirk on his face.

'For more than the food.' He thought as he turned and walked back out through the door, Naruto in tow.

* * *

They waited until they were far from the shop before Naruto released the art, complaining that he had to be the girl. Sasuke snapped back that he would have screwed the mission any other way and Naruto protested weakly before just shutting up.

"He looked like he saw a ghost back there." The blonde yawned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Exactly." Sasuke smirked, "He's seen her and didn't expect to see her again."

"Yeah…" Naruto trailed off, realization clouding his ability to speak.

* * *

Night fell quickly and as soon as the store shored up for the night, Sasuke was picking the lock in the back. Catching the security chain as it fell, he shoved it into a pile of sand to prevent it from rattling around.

Slipping inside, he very gently felt his way across the floor, listening to his own footsteps until the sound changed…echoed back a bit. Dropping to his knees, he rapped his knuckles lightly against the floorboards, his ear pressed to them.

'Hollow…a shaft, likely. Large enough for a man…' His thoughts raced by, the calculations rough but as accurate as the situation allowed.

"Hey, teme…"

He moved to silence the blonde only to see him slump against the ground.

His attacker never even saw the Uchiha move, only felt the snap of bone as the Kusanagi severed his head, his body dropping down beside him.

Sasuke's glanced back, his eyes crimson in the moonlight: Unnatural…that's what that creature was---a type of Shikon resurrection he had never seen before and more advanced than he had thought was possible…

"You really should have gotten out when you could have."

Sasuke sighed, snapping at Naruto, now regaining consciousness, to get up as he turned on the attacker, his eyes leveling on the multiple targets.

"Now what fun would that be?" The Uchiha replied as electricity began to pulse off of him.

TBC


	7. Flight and Fight

_**Chapter Seven: Flight and Fight**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Consider this fic disclaimed. **_

Sakura broke through the surf and crawled along the beach. For some reason, most of the patrol had suddenly disappeared. She wasn't sure why, but she could hardly afford to squander her chances.

Pulling herself along the sand to maintain a low profile against the moonless night, she crept up to the vent she had been shadowing for hours and hauled herself in, gasping for breath all the way. She sank elbow deep immediately into the muck, likely sediment from the backwash of the tides.

Deciding not to pause for air, she proceeded up the vent, using the suction of the muck to help her transverse the slippery angle.

By now her breathing had begun to level out, thanks to a lack of necessity for an immediate adrenaline rush, and she realized the air had an unpleasant tang to it. Coppery and bitter but something sickeningly sweet, too…

Horror washed over her so acute, she felt herself retch before she could suppress the nausea; she was wading, elbow deep, in congealing blood and rotting flesh…

* * *

Sasuke inspected the corpses around him, realizing instantly that there were three medics in the world talented enough to concoct that jutsu and see it to fruition: Tsunade, Kabuto, and Sakura. But there was only one twisted enough to actually got through with it: Kabuto.

He stood brusquely, hauling Naruto up with him.

"We need to find her. Now." He stated simply as he kicked open the door to the shack and stepped out into the next fray.

Blue mixed with blue, pulsing electricity and swirling chakra combining in a massive wave of destruction that engulfed everything in its way.

* * *

Sakura dropped ungracefully into a hall that she knew shouldn't have existed there: the drainage vents were supposed to lead directly to reservoirs and from there to wells…this entire layout was skewed.

"There you are."

Sakura turned on the voice, decapitating the walking corpse before it could say anything more or alert it's…_friends_. Shaking the gore off of her fist, she proceeded down the hall.

It was entirely too quiet…and just downright eerie; whatever was happening there, it wasn't good: there was so much blood on the floor and walls, she couldn't tell what color they had been originally and it was so thick and slick, slipping was a constant risk.

Silently cursing the fact that she didn't have her usual gear and was still in a skirt and heels, she crept around a corner, scanning the seeming emptiness.

But she had the distinct feeling she was far from alone.

* * *

"Hurry up!" Sasuke growled, leaping onto the destroyed pier and disappearing in a flash, an arc of crimson trailing him from the corpses falling at his feet left and right.

"Working on it!" Naruto yelled back, landing a punishing high kick to the nearest enemy.

Sasuke tossed his Kusanagi, his hands coming together in a complex set of seals preformed so quickly, they were blurs even to Naruto's keen eyes.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Each of the flame coated pieces of weaponry hit their mark, all falling as Sasuke's right hand came up, gripping the hilt of his katana as he spun on his heel and cleanly cleaved the heads of the five resurrected civilians behind him from their shoulders.

* * *

Sakura saw the hall coming to an end, the door at its conclusion---and a faint blue light filtering from under it.

Her head snapped up, scanning again for anything suggestive of an enemy. Sure enough, she could heard the above and below her, on separate floors. She wouldn't have long…

With a cry, she charged the door, kicking it down so forcefully the wood literally vaporized.

She swallowed hard against the resulting bile…

There were corpses everywhere in all states and stages of 'repair' and decomposition. Massive computer screens lined the walls, giving moment by moment read-out on the ones that were still alive. But one glance at them told Sakura they were beyond even her help: some had no respiratory system left and were fed oxygen via tubes and artificial diaphragms, others had no spinal cord left, or remnants of a heart…and their organs, identifiable in jars lining the walls, were dead tissue now.

A tear ran down her face before she did was necessary; she went around, slowly shutting down their bodies and turning off their nerves…it would be like falling asleep…

She was just rising from the last when a faint footstep behind her caught her attention. Her emerald green eyes flitted to the doorframe.

"Kabuto…" She trailed off, feeling the strain of her efforts to put down the doomed humanely.

* * *

Sasuke returned to the shack, tapping the floor with the point of his katana until he found the hollow space again. Flipping the katana back around, he crushed the wood planking. The fragments hung in the air for the moment before collapsing back into the void.

He counted to twenty-three before he heard the echo of their collision with a decisively sandy and moist bedding at the bottom of the shaft.

He snorted slightly, dropping down into the shaft and adhering to the side with his chakra as Naruto slipped along the side, clinging just barely to the sides as he slid along the metal vent.

* * *

"You." Sakura glared, drawing herself uneasily up to her full height.

"Who else?" He smirked, toying absently with a curved kunai.

"You're a monster." She stated simply, flipping her last kunai into her hands.

"So, you intend to fight me?" He asked with some amusement.

"I'm _not_ going to stand here and become your puppet." She snapped back.

He charged her in a flash of silver and gray, his kunai grating her against her own. She shoved back against him, pushing him aside. He slid against his heels, snapping a kick towards her clenched hands. In a moment of reaction, she released her left hand, his leg coming between her arms. She ducked, spinning on her heel. He leapt over her extended leg, landing a brutal kick to her back. She stumbled forward, catching her balance and striking back with a simple roundhouse.

* * *

Sasuke landed against the bottom of the shaft, kicking it out into the next tunnel. Or so he thought---as it turned out, it was a hall that opened up onto the beach and moved down into the darkness.

Sasuke snorted derisively as a flicker of movement filled his peripherals. Weaponry snapped from his hands, embedding themselves in the skulls of the reanimated corpses.

"Damn it…" He sighed mildly as he freed his katana from its sheath and snapped it into place, leveling it with the nearest enemy and smirking.

* * *

Sakura collided against the wall, groaning with the impact. But she recovered her senses with enough time to evade the kunai tossed at her face. It embedded itself with a dull thunk in the wall. Sakura rotated under it, catching Kabuto's leg and throwing him back.

"You're slowing down." He smirked catching his balance easily.

Sakura wiped the sweat away from her eyes, panting for breath.

She couldn't deny that fact that he was right; her chakra was dwindling, she was exhausted before she ever engaged him, and she couldn't even employ her greatest strength because of their subterranean position.

"I won't let you…" She trailed off.

"Won't let me what?" He asked, circling around her.

She opened her mouth to reply but had no answer. Her response came in the form of the kunai she yanked from the wall.

* * *

Sasuke turned his nose up at the gore dripping from his katana. He shook it gently, clearing the remaining flesh off of the blade before sheathing it again.

"Where is she?" Naruto asked desperately.

"I don't know, idiot!" Sasuke snapped back, trying to pinpoint her chakra.

The entire energy signature of the place was warped: it was difficult to separate the corpses' natural chakra from Kabuto's and Sakura's was simply lost in the jumble of confused signals. To make things worse, he had every sensory distraction working against him---the smell, eerie quiet and darkness all played into his instinctual paranoia and made focusing incredibly difficult.

"Well, we have to find her!" Naruto replied.

"I know."

* * *

"You really were quite lucky." Kabuto stated off-handedly.

"How so?" Sakura demanded.

"For starters, the computer crash meant your little entrance went unnoticed for quite a while. The resurrected corpse that injured you initially did so because I ordered him to bring me a new corpse. If I had known you were lurking around, I would have shown more discretion. And you even managed to get by the first wave before I finally identified you thanks to a comb I found in your room; though, of course, at the time I didn't know it was yours."

Sakura grit her teeth---she certainly didn't feel like fortune was smiling down on her.

"Do you want to know how they work?" He asked.

"Bite me." Sakura snapped back.

"I'll just take that as a yes. You see, I was working on making a new army for Lord Orochimaru---and what better than soldiers capable of hiding weapons inside of their bodies. But I don't think I need to tell you the other facet of that, do I?"

Sakura inhaled shallowly, struggling to keep her breathing under control, "Biological weaponry."

"You're good." He replied.

Sakura bit into her lip; creatures like those could hide agents in their body cavities. They would pass all inspection points with an all-clear and not even the Byakugan would be able to detect anything abnormal. True, the ones carrying weaponry in their bodies would be caught, but by then…

"How?" She demanded.

"You're finally curious?" Kabuto smiled insanely, "I remotely use them the way one might play with a battery operated toy; their nervous systems are the conduits for the energy transfer and are rigged to hold energy, like a battery; completely independent of my chakra source for up to a week. Moreover, I can select a single one and interface with it, hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and feeling everything it is."

He looked her down one more time, "You know I have to kill you now."

"Just try." She muttered under her breath.

He lunged and Sakura slammed her fist against the ground, bringing half of the room down on top of him. She knew it would hardly stop him---he would get through eventually…

Turning on her heel, she retrieved a drive from one of his shelves and plugged it into the nearest port and downloaded his entire file system onto it. Disconnecting it, she input the orders to shut down all of the medical systems around her and then she finished the job: disconnecting the drive, she tucked it into her bra and typed in an infinite equation. Using a math formula where the value of x was infinity, she graphed it to be a circle…a never ending system the computer would overload on when attempting to solve.

It was already sparking, the screens blurring and jerking as she turned away. Kicking down the nearest wall, she stepped into the hall and took off at a full blown run.

* * *

Sasuke pressed his ear against the doorframe, listening to the faltering foot falls echoing back through it.

The unsteady pace, the uneven gait, everything spoke to a failing Shikon no Jutsu, meaning Kabuto was definitely out of range. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt several tremors pass through the complex earlier despite having detected no tectonic activity previously.

"On the count of three." He whispered, using his fingers to count it down.

As the third fell back on his palm, his knee connected with the door in a blast of sand and wood, electricity radiating briefly from him. Naruto gave a cry as his fist slammed against the door in tandem.

* * *

Sakura didn't care about the sudden wash of debris over her; she didn't have the energy to fight not one more enemy.

With a sigh, she turned to face her death---she was a shinobi, she wouldn't cower and beg for her life. She would meet her reaper head on.

The dust cleared, her eyes snapped open, defiance shining still in them.

"Sasuke…Naruto…" She trailed off, blinking owlishly.

They moved towards her, one on each side, both demanding to know what happened.

She sighed, gently pushing against their chests as if trying to get by…

Her collapse was so sudden they almost didn't catch her; Naruto's arms clasped over Sasuke's their chests cradling her back as they set her down.

"Sakura…" Naruto trailed off as her hand twined in the fabric of his shirt, her other hand in the cotton of Sasuke's.

Sasuke felt a moment of sheer panic that he quickly beat down. There was so much blood that he couldn't tell if she was wounded or not. But the smell of rot coming from the thick liquid spoke to its age.

"It's alright now." He said simply.

TBC


	8. Epilogue

_**Epilogue: Again**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**_

"You did good, kid." Tsunade said with a playful wink to her apprentice, "With the intelligence you managed to gather, we can effectively put a stop to Kabuto's games for quite a while…assuming he comes back at all, of course."

"Thank you, Shishou." Sakura replied with a bright smile even as she was thinking of Kabuto: she almost felt bad for him; Orochimaru didn't tolerate failure, let alone repeated failure, well. But he chose his path.

"I _am_ sorry your vacation was cut short." The honey-haired Kage continued.

"Well, so am I." She admitted with a sight.

"That's why I'm sending you on another one. And you're not going alone, this time, either."

* * *

Sakura laid back, pushing her sunglasses over her eyes and soaking up the sunlight pouring down on her. Beside her, Sasuke was rubbing sunscreen into his pale skin and off in the distance, Naruto was flailing around in the water, screaming something about a leg cramp followed very shortly by a cry for ramen.

Neither of them glanced over; it would ruin the dynamic of the team, after all. But everything they did, even the failure to respond to each other occasionally, was done out of love. They all knew that.

Sakura smiled over at the blonde as he pulled himself onto the beach and into his chair, gasping for breath.

"Are you alright?" She asked with a smirk.

"As if a leg cramp could defeat the next Hokage!" He replied loudly, pumping his fist only to collapse against the chair a moment later with another muscle spasm.

"Here." Sakura sighed jokingly as he brought her glowing hand to his leg, uncoiling the tissue.

"You shouldn't spoil him." Sasuke commented.

"I know." She laughed.

"Hey!" Naruto pouted impishly, a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Stop it you two." Sakura finally chuckled as she lay back down.

"It was really nice of Granny to give us some time off!" Naruto exclaimed, rolling onto his stomach.

Sasuke snorted in a tone that meant yes but suggested otherwise and Sakura just smiled.

"I'm going back in!" Naruto suddenly yelled, leaping from the chair and back into the water.

Sakura smiled faintly, the gesture all too quickly turning in the opposite direction; she still had her lingering thoughts about Kabuto and the entire experiment. True, she had gotten the information to them, but if Orochimaru chose to attack, would it be good enough?

"What's wrong?"

Her head snapped up at his question, her green eyes meeting his even through the tinted lenses of her shades.

"Just thinking." She replied.

"Haven't we told you that's bad for you?" He smirked.

"Ha ha." She replied dryly.

"Seriously." He inquired.

"Well," She slid the sunglasses off of her face, "They never found Kabuto and we haven't seen or heard anything about the 'dynamic duo' since."

"And?"

"And that doesn't worry you?" She demanded, feeling angry irrationally.

He smirked, melting all that rage away instantly, "I dare them to come back."

"Cocky, aren't we?" She asked, a slender eyebrow rising.

"I can back it up." He replied.

"Are you saying I can't?" She teased, leaning in.

It was then that she realized over the course of their conversation, they had steadily grown closer and closer in proximity.

"Let's see." He said, pressing his lips against her own.

She responded eagerly, ignoring Naruto's immature complaints from the water. Eventually, the need for oxygen forced them apart and she glanced up at him.

"So?"

"I think you need more practice." He replied, leaning in again.

TBC


End file.
